of Agriculture
With reference to his reply to question 15 of 13 May 2022:
(a) What measures have been put in place by the Western Cape Government to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the province and (b) what support has the provincial government given to farmers to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease?
[a] Veterinary Services officials of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture have been attending roadblocks to inspect vehicles with livestock to check whether the animals are healthy and to ensure that the correct animal identification documents are present. A training session was arranged to update their knowledge and discuss investigations of suspect cases of FMD. Our team is on high alert to investigate any reports of possible FMD infection and put the necessary controls in place where needed. The veterinary team conducts regular visits to auctions to inspect animals and ensure adherence to biosecurity measures. The FMD contingency plans have been reviewed and updated.
We are also working with other provinces, the National Director Animal Health and stakeholders on a livestock movement policy to assist with maintaining FMD free areas.
Weekly update meetings with all Provinces are attended by officials to ensure that we are aware of the latest developments and staff members are then updated accordingly.
[b] Veterinary service officials have been providing information to animal owners and dealers to ensure that animal owners and other stakeholders are aware of the risks of introducing animals from an unknown or FMD-infected source and of buying animals with an unknown health history that could be carrying the disease. They provided information and created awareness about precautions that should be taken, with multiple media releases, radio interviews and one-on-one advice during farm visits and road blocks.